Blog - Random Olive

Free Brush Letter Practice Basic Strokes Worksheets

Aug 27, 2025 | Art and Lettering

Well, look, I know I said I had retired the ol’ Brush Letter Practice Guide, but somehow I got the idea to re-launch them in a simplified format. If you’ve been around a long while, you may remember the Comprehensive Brush Letter Practice Guide that had pretty much hundreds of pages of practice sheets, for multiple brush sizes, traced and lined paper, and letter connections. It was massive and was priced at $32 at its peak, and honestly, I don’t think we’re in that sort of economy anymore.

The new Brush Letter Practice Basics worksheets will be much more condensed, less variety of pages, and a smaller PDF file so you can print and re-print whatever pages you want without all the clutter.

While I’m working on getting all the letters cleaned up and templated in the worksheet set, I did finish the two pages of basic strokes. And I figured I’d go ahead and put them online for you to download! For the free! Click here or on the preview image below to go to the purchase page. (It’s set at a pay-what-you-want price on my shop; you can put $0 to get it for free, or leave a donation)

Thanks so much for following along on this lettering journey (or in my case, revival).

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Weekly Reads: August 18 to 24, 2025

Aug 26, 2025 | Book Reviews

The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows by Olivia Waite (2020)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Feminine Pursuits series. The slowest slow burn friends to lovers story here. Widowed Agatha is running her print works and finds a swarm of bees where they shouldn’t be, so her mother-in-law refers local bee expert Penelope to help. Penelope is a married woman who’s husband is actually in love with her brother and they go off sailing and catching whales together. Loved seeing Agatha and Penelope’s friendship develop through their letters and subsequent visits to each other’s homes. It’s a super slow build, but well worth the read.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm // Available on Kindle Unlimited // Get a free trial to Kindle Unlimited

My Best Friend’s Earl by Bethany Bennett (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Bluestocking Booksellers series. If you’ve been looking for scenes with yearning, you need to read this book. First off, Constance and Oliver are total opposites and also cannot seem to stop thinking of each other. Secondly, Oliver has been engaged to his childhood friend and neighbor due to a deal their fathers made over cards many years ago and he’s being super honorable and sticking to the arrangement. But his fiancee is actively trying to get out of the engagement and even asks Constance for help in how to get Oliver to jilt her. It’s messy and chaotic and at some point when Oliver and Constance realize they have true feelings for each other, it’s all blocked by his honor and prior entanglements. Loved this book so much.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Print book provided by Forever Books.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org

Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

Useful Resources:

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

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Resource Spotlight: Cursive and Faux Calligraphy Worksheets

Aug 25, 2025 | Art and Lettering

Hello! Here are today’s lettering and art resources. Click on the images below to learn more about that resource. (If you make a purchase through these links, I get a small commission.)

Dolphin Handwriting Practice Worksheets

May include: Handwriting practice worksheets for the word 'Dolphin' in three sizes: small, medium, and large. The worksheets are in two styles: italic and regular. The worksheets are 33 pages total. The image shows a sample worksheet with the word 'Dolphin' written in cursive. The image also shows a cartoon dolphin jumping out of the water.

May include: Handwriting practice worksheets for kids featuring a blue dolphin jumping out of the water. The title is 'Dolphin' and the text below reads '33 Pages 2 Styles: Italic & Regular Lowercase & Uppercase Letters Continuous Stroke Numbers 48 Practice Words 3 Sizes: Small, Medium, Large'.

May include: A close-up of a lined notebook page with multiple handwritten lowercase 'h' letters in different colors, including orange, yellow, green, blue, and black. The letters are written in cursive script and are aligned on the lines of the notebook. A blue pen is being used to write the last letter.

May include: The word 'Inspire' written in rainbow colors on a lined sheet of paper. The word is written in cursive and the letters are outlined in different colors, starting with red and ending with blue. The text 'For Personal Use Only © 2022' is written in gray below the word 'Inspire'.

Whale Faux Calligraphy Practice Worksheets

May include: A blue background with white text that reads 'Faux Calligraphy Practice Worksheets' and 'Whale'. The text is in a cursive font. Below the text is a cartoon whale with a pink belly and a blue background. The whale is swimming to the right. Below the whale is a white rectangle with the text '37 Pages' and '2 Styles: Italic & Regular' and '3 Sizes: Small, Medium, Large'. Below the rectangle are three images of worksheets. The worksheets are titled 'Whale Italic & Regular Letters', 'Whale Italic & Regular Practice Words', and 'Whale Italic Continuous'. The worksheets are all white with black text. The text on the worksheets is in a cursive font. The worksheets are all for practicing calligraphy.

May include: A blue background with white text that reads 'Faux Calligraphy Practice Worksheets' and 'Whale'. Below the text is a list of features including '37 Pages', '2 Styles: Italic & Regular', 'Lowercase & Uppercase Letters', 'Continuous Stroke', 'Numbers', '52 Practice Words', '3 Sizes: Small, Medium, Large'. A cartoon whale with a pink blush is in the lower right corner of the image.

May include: A close-up of a person writing the letter 'g' in cursive with an orange pen on a lined sheet of paper. The letter 'g' is written in multiple colors, including pink, orange, and brown. The paper has the words 'For Persona' written at the bottom.

May include: The word 'Rainbow' written in cursive with each letter outlined in a different color of the rainbow, starting with red and ending with purple. The word 'Rainbow' is written on a white lined notebook page. The words 'Lighttheskyarts Smile' and 'Lighttheskyarts' are written in white cursive at the top and bottom of the image. The words 'True' and 'For Personal Use Only' are written in white cursive below the word 'Rainbow'.

Supplies

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Crochet Pattern Roundup: Temperature Blanket

Aug 23, 2025 | Crochet Patterns

Quick round up of crochet patterns! Click on the photo below to go to the Etsy page of the pattern. Affiliate links used, so if you make a purchase, I get a small commission.

May include: A colorful striped crochet blanket in shades of blue, green, orange, and white. The blanket is folded and draped over a white surface. The text "crochet pattern" is visible in the upper right corner of the image.

May include: A colorful crocheted throw blanket with a variety of textures and patterns. The blanket is made up of squares in shades of purple, green, blue, red, and pink.

May include: A collection of colorful crochet flowers and yarn balls. A square of crocheted flowers in a grid pattern is displayed, along with individual flowers in various colors. Several balls of yarn in coordinating colors are arranged below, with a crochet hook and scissors.

May include: A handmade, striped blanket in shades of pink, green, and brown with a white border. The blanket is folded and draped on a wooden surface. The blanket's design features horizontal stripes.

May include: A striped crochet blanket in shades of blue, purple, pink, and white. The blanket is draped over a couch with a pillow. The text 'Temperature Blanket' is written in a white circle on the left side of the image.

May include: A colorful striped crochet blanket with a variety of colors, including pink, yellow, orange, purple, and green. The blanket is laid out on a rocky surface with a desert landscape in the background.

May include: A colorful crocheted blanket with a chevron pattern in shades of pink, blue, yellow, and green.

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Resource Spotlight: Script Style Lettering Worksheets

Aug 22, 2025 | Art and Lettering

Hello! Here are today’s lettering and art resources. Click on the images below to learn more about that resource. (If you make a purchase through these links, I get a small commission.)

Sloth Hand Lettering Practice Worksheets

May include: Hand lettering practice sheets for the word 'sloth' in two styles. The sheets are designed for use with small and large brush pens. The sheets feature a sloth hanging from a branch. The text on the sheets reads 'sloth one' and 'sloth two'. The sheets are 31 pages long and include over 40 practice words.

May include: A calligraphy practice sheet with lines for writing letters. The letters a, b, and c are written in different colors, including pink, yellow, green, and gray. The letters are written with a brush pen and have arrows showing the direction of the strokes. The text '@lighttheskyarts SAMPLE @lighttheskyarts' is at the bottom of the sheet.

Swirly Snail Hand Lettering Practice Worksheets

Swirly Snail Hand Lettering Practice Worksheets For Small & Large Brush Pens | DIGITAL DOWNLOAD | iPad Lettering | lighttheskyarts image 3

Supplies

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Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

Support this page with a donation

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Lettering and Art Resources is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Romance Ebook Deal Round-Up: August 22, 2025

Aug 22, 2025 | Book Deals

Time for another ebook deal round-up! I’ve rounded up a bunch of romance books that are on sale right now that you should check out. Click on the picture of the book cover to check the current price on Amazon. Prices fluctuate, so keep in mind that it might not be on sale for long. (If you make a purchase through these links, I get a small commission.)

Historical Romance

Scoundrel of My Heart: A Victorian Historical Romance Novel (Once Upon a Dukedom Book 1)

Lord Holt Takes a Bride: A Regency Historical Romance Novel (The Mating Habits of Scoundrels Book 1)

The Debutante Is Mine: A Scandalous Regency Historical Romance Featuring Debutantes and Love Triangles (The Season's Original Book 1)

The Perils of Pleasure: A Pennyroyal Green Regency Historical Romance Novel (Pennyroyal Green Series Book 1)

Like No Other Lover: A Pennyroyal Green Regency Historical Romance Novel (Pennyroyal Green Series Book 2)

How the Marquess Was Won: A Pennyroyal Green Regency Historical Romance Novel (Pennyroyal Green Series Book 6)

The Scoundrel in Her Bed: A Victorian Historical Romance of Lost Love (Sins for All Seasons Book 3)

Midnight Pleasures With a Scoundrel: A Steamy Historical Romance Series with a Strong Female Lead Seeking Revenge (Scoundrels of St. James Book 4)

Passions of a Wicked Earl (London's Greatest Lovers Book 1)

Silk Is For Seduction (The Dressmakers Series Book 1)

Royal Bridesmaids: An Original Anthology—A Charming Regency Historical Romance Collection of Love and Intrigue

Hero, Come Back: A Victorian Historical Romance Novel (The Governess Brides)

My Wicked Marquess (Inferno Club Book 1)

Where's My Hero?: A Medieval Historical Romance Novel (Brotherhood/MacAllister series Book 3)

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake (Love by Numbers Book 1)

A Duke in Disguise: The Regency Impostors

The Duke Effect: A Regency Historical Romance Novel of Deception and Duty (Rogue Files)

The Duke Heist (The Wild Wynchesters Book 1)

Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover: The Fourth Rule of Scoundrels (Rules of Scoundrels Book 4)

One Good Earl Deserves a Lover: The Second Rule of Scoundrels (Rules of Scoundrels Book 2)

The Trouble with Dukes (Windham Brides Book 1)

Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

Useful Resources:

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy

Support this page with a donation

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Resource Spotlight: Script Lettering Style Worksheets

Aug 19, 2025 | Art and Lettering

Hello! Here are today’s lettering and art resources. Click on the images below to learn more about that resource. (If you make a purchase through these links, I get a small commission.)

Caterpillar Hand Lettering Practice Worksheets

May include: Caterpillar themed handwriting practice worksheets for kids. The worksheets feature uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and inspirational words. The worksheets are designed for use with small and large brush pens. The title of the worksheets is 'Caterpillar' and the text '32 Pages' is also visible. A cartoon caterpillar with a green body and a smiling face is shown in the top right corner of the image.

May include: Hand Lettering Practice Worksheets Caterpillar, a green and white graphic with a green caterpillar illustration. The text includes 'Hand Lettering Practice Worksheets Caterpillar', 'Small + Large Brush Pens', 'INCLUDES:', 'Practice Strokes', 'Lowercase Letters', 'Continuous Stroke', 'Uppercase Letters', 'Numbers', 'Double Letters', 'Inspirational Words', 'Uplifting Quotes'.

May include: A calligraphy practice sheet with the words 'Caterpil uppercase' at the top. The sheet has lines for practicing cursive letters. The letters A, B, and C are written in orange, red, and yellow. The words 'Kindly', 'Lovable', and 'Miracle' are written in cursive in pink, yellow, and green. A hand is holding a pen and writing on the sheet.

Butterfly Hand Lettering Practice Worksheets

May include: A purple background with a butterfly graphic and the text 'Hand Lettering Practice Worksheets Butterfly 39 Pages' in white. The text 'Small-Large Brush Pens' is in a yellow banner. Below the title is the text 'Lowercase. Uppercase. Double Letters, Numbers, and 50 Practice Words'. The image shows four pages of a handwriting workbook with the text 'Butterfly Numbers', 'Butterfly Practice Words', 'Butterfly Lowercase', and 'Butterfly Uppercase Letters'.

May include: A purple background with a white butterfly illustration and the text 'Hand Lettering Practice Worksheets' in a white cursive font. Below the text is the word 'Butterfly' in a larger white cursive font. Below the word 'Butterfly' is the text '39 Pages' in a white cursive font. Below the text '39 Pages' is a list of features in a white cursive font: 'Practice Strokes, Lowercase, Uppercase Letters, Continuous Stroke, Double Letters, Numbers, 50 Practice Words, Blank Practice Sheets, Small + Large Brush Pens.'

May include: A calligraphy practice sheet with the word 'Butterfly' written at the top. The sheet shows how to write the letters A, B, and C in cursive. The letters a, b, c, d, e, f, and g are written in cursive in different colors.

May include: Handwriting practice on lined paper with a pink pen. The words 'Amazing Butterfly Calligraphy' are written in cursive.

Supplies

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Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

Support this page with a donation

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Lettering and Art Resources is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Weekly Reads: August 11 to 17, 2025

Aug 19, 2025 | Book Reviews

Zomromcom by Olivia Dade (2025)

Paranormal romance. Book 1 of the Supernatural Entanglements series. This book was so much fun to read. Just the right amount of action and adventure and danger. And oh my gosh, the steam. Edie is trying to fight off a zombie and protect her dimwitted neighbor, but it turns out her neighbor is secretly a vampire named Gaston. He goes by Max, but get ready for all sorts of iterations of the Gaston song throughout the book. They’ve got loads of zombie danger to deal in trying to save the neighborhood and we meet all sorts of wacky side characters along the way. It was an absolute delight to read.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

The Mistress by Caroline Lee (2025)

Historical erotic novella. Book 2 of the Dirty Little Harlots series. Smutty novella where a mistress is bartered to another man in a card game. And then they all spend the night together. Quick and dirty little read.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe (2025)

Historical romance. Gilded Age New York. Standalone novel. This one is a really good Anastasia retelling with mystery and intrigue and steam. Leo is your basic con-man in Boston, and when he sees Josie singing in the street, he has a glimmer of an idea to pass her off as a long-lost heiress. And she has no idea that’s his game because he’s pretending to be a talent manager to get her on Broadway. They go to New York together and try to keep things professional, but that only works for so long when they spend literally all their time together. We get to uncover the mystery of the lost heiress and how Leo’s late father is involved in the mess. This book was so much fun to read and listen to.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Harper Audio via NetGalley.

Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

Useful Resources:

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

Read an introduction to fanfiction

Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction

Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy

Support this page with a donation

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Resource Spotlight: Funky Shadows and Shapes Lettering Style Worksheets

Aug 16, 2025 | Art and Lettering

Hello! Here are today’s lettering and art resources. Click on the images below to learn more about that resource. (If you make a purchase through these links, I get a small commission.)

Boba Hand Lettering Practice Worksheets

May include: Lettering practice worksheets with a boba tea theme. The title is 'Fun Boba Dots + Shadows 28 Pages From A to Z'. Three worksheets are shown, each with a different letter of the alphabet. The worksheets are designed for tracing and practicing lowercase and uppercase letters. The letters are made of boba tea pearls. The worksheets are on a light peach background with white bubble outlines.

May include: Lettering Practice Worksheets with the word 'Boba' written in brown bubble tea dots. The text 'DOTS+SHADOWS' is also written in brown bubble tea dots. The text 'Learn everything you need (Uppercase+Lowercase+Numbers)' is written in black. The text 'Learn 2 Types of Shadows (For both left handed and right handed people)' is written in black. The text 'Plus 24 Practice Words' is written in black. The text 'And Letter Templates for your creativity' is written in black. A light brown circle with the words 'Light the Sky' is in the bottom left corner of the image. A cartoon drawing of a cup of bubble tea is in the top right corner of the image.

May include: A worksheet with dotted letters and numbers for tracing. The letters are A, B, C, D, and E. The numbers are 1, 2, and 3. The worksheet is divided into two sections, one for large brush pen and one for small brush pen. The worksheet also has a section for dot marker. The text on the worksheet reads 'Large Brush Pen', 'Dot Marker', 'Small Brush Pen', 'For Personal Use Only', 'lighttheskyarts SAMPLE @lighttheskyaits', 'Chanapa Sxuto', 'For Personal Use Only 2021 lighttheskyarts & Chanapa Sxuto'.

May include: The word 'PAUSE' written in white on a black background. The letters are made of a chain of small circles. Two black and silver pens are lying on top of the word.

Panda Hand Lettering Practice Worksheets

May include: A printable worksheet for practicing lettering. The worksheet features a panda design and the text 'panda sharpie & shadows' and '32 pages 3 styles'. The worksheet includes three different styles of lettering: script, print, and script with shadows. The letters are printed in black and white on a white background.

May include: Lettering Practice Worksheets with a panda illustration. The title says 'panda sharpie & shadows'. Learn 3 Lettering Styles (Script + Print + Uppercase) Learn 2 Types of Shadows (for both right handed and left handed people) Plus 24 Practice Words

May include: The word 'appreciate' written in colorful, outlined letters with a 3D effect. The letters are outlined in black and filled with rainbow colors. The word is written on a white background. There are several colored markers on the white surface. The markers are black with colored tips. The colors of the markers are purple, pink, orange, yellow, green, and blue. The text '@lighttheskyarts' is written in black below the word 'appreciate'.

May include: A sheet of paper with lined paper and dotted lines. The paper has the words 'panda script shadows' written at the top. The paper has the letters a, b, c, d, and e written in cursive with a shadow effect. The letters are written in black ink with a pink shadow effect. The letters are written in a cursive font. The letters are written on a white background.

Supplies

Are you an artist with your own resource that you’d like me to share? Click here to tell me all about it.

Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

Support this page with a donation

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Lettering and Art Resources is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Resource Spotlight: Fun Capitals Lettering Style Worksheets

Aug 13, 2025 | Art and Lettering

Hello! Here are today’s lettering and art resources. Click on the images below to learn more about that resource. (If you make a purchase through these links, I get a small commission.)